Keir Starmer blasts Nigel Farage as the ENEMY and makes 'victims' comment

Keir Starmer has labelled Nigel Farage the "enemy of renewal" and sought to reclaim British flags from Reform by vowing to “never surrender them”.

In a fiery conference speech the PM also claimed Nigel Farage “doesn’t like Britain” and “doesn’t believe in Britain”.

His remarks came during his closing address at Labour party conference in Liverpool, where supporters were given Welsh, English, Union Jack and Scottish flags to show they “belong to all of us”.

Describing himself as a patriot, Sir Keir declared Britain “a tolerant, pragmatic, reasonable country” and in a clear attack on Mr Farage, vowed to reclaim the flag from those that would divide Britain.

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He said: "Free speech is a British value and we have guarded it for centuries, but if you incite racist violence and hatred, that is not expressing concern – it’s criminal.

“This party – this great party – is proud of our flags, yet if they are painted alongside graffiti, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to ‘go home’, that’s not pride – that’s racism.

“And, conference, if you say or imply that people cannot be English or British because of the colour of their skin, that mixed-heritage families owe you an explanation, that people who have lived here for generations, raised their children here, built lives here – working in our schools, our hospitals, running businesses – our neighbours, if you say they should now be deported, then mark my words, we will fight you with everything we have because you are an enemy of national renewal.”

Flags were waved by supporters throughout the speech, with the PM urging attendees in the packed out conference hall to do so several times.

He said: “Britain stands at a fork in the road.

"But at the end of the road, there will be a new country, a land of dignity and respect. Our flags flying proudly as we celebrate difference and oppose racism.

"Let's fly all our flags conference. Because they are flags. They belong to all of us, and we will never surrender them."

The PM had earlier claimed Mr Farage had no solutions to the problems facing the UK, and criticised him for constantly talking Britain down.

He said: “We can all see these snake oil merchants, on the right, on the left, but be in no doubt, conference, none of them have any interest in national renewal, because decline is good for their business.

“When was the last time you heard Nigel Farage say anything positive about Britain’s future?

“He can’t. He doesn’t like Britain, doesn’t believe in Britain, wants you to doubt it as much as he does.

“And so he resorts to grievance. They all do it. They want to turn this country, this proud, self-reliant country, into a competition of victims.”

Earlier this week the PM claimed Mr Farage's plan to axe the main route to citizenship for people who came to Britain legally was "racist".
Reform UK has also previously promised mass deportations of asylum seekers - with plans to lock up women and children.

The Labour leader also criticised the brick throwing seen during the Southport riots, saying that was not legitimate protest.

He said: “There is a line, a moral line, and it isn’t just Farage who crosses it.

“There are also people who should know better, sowing fear and discord across our country, and then, when we call that out, they pretend we’re criticising reasonable concerns about immigration.

“We have seen that trick, conference, so let us spell it out, once and for all: Controlling migration is a reasonable goal, but if you throw bricks and smash up private property, that’s not legitimate – that is thuggery.”

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